Regional Hyperthermia Therapy for Cancer Support

1. How can Regional Hyperthermia help in my fight against cancer?
- Multiple ways! That is why we love it so much. It can be used in nearly every stage of your cancer treatment journey including:

-Hyperthermia in itself helps create an environment in your body that cancer has a more difficult time surviving in. Peer reviewed research has demonstrated that raising temperatures above 114*F leads to cancer cell death and most importantly, the release of something called heat shock proteins, which are like a flare gun for your immune system, compelling them to mount an immune response to the cancer tissue. The continued heat also tends to collapse the blood supply, making your body less hospitable to tumor growth. 

- Because many of the heat shock proteins that are released, regional hyperthermia can help patients overcome drug resistance to treatments that have previously stopped working, and enhance efficacy of immunotherapy treatment (because the immune system can see the target more easily). 

-Creating a hyperthermic environment prevents cancer DNA from being able to repair itself as easily, making treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation more effective. 

-Hyperthermia is also quite effective for reducing pain, and is sometimes used for this purpose alone. 

2. Are there some cancer patients who should not do Hyperthermia?
-The regional hyperthermia machine we use is a non invasive deep tissue heating system, meaning there are virtually no side effects. Most patients feel a warming sensation during treatment that is comforting and relaxing. The few times you would not want to do hyperthermia, is directly over a medical implant such as a pacemaker, or if you already have very damaged skin (such as burns from radiation treatment). 

3. How am I going to feel after my sessions?
-Most of our patients report feeling pretty well. There is sometimes some short term swelling in the area that occurs for a few hours post treatment due to the immune system overactivation. This can be mitigated by drinking lots of water, and it is sometimes encouraged to do some level of lymphatic support whether it is a lymph treatment with our acupuncturists, a lymphatic tincture, or use our PEMF machine to improve lymphatic flow.